Furnace humidifier



Feb. 20, 1962 J. J. BYRGE 3,021,831

FURNACE HUMIDIFIER Filed Nov. 22, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l 36 40 "i 7 Jerome J Byrge 38 INVENTOR.

Feb. 20, 1962 J. J. BYRGE FURNACE HUMIDIFIER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 22, 1957 M m a J 8 m Z m w United States Patent 3,021,831 FURNACE HUMIDIFER Jerome J. Byrge, 360? N. Sherman Ave, Madison, Wis. Filed Nov. 22, 1957, Ser. No. 698,128 2 Claims. (Cl. 126-413) This invention relates generally to a device for adding moisture to air, and more specifically to a furnace humidifier.

Therefore, the primary object of this invention is to provide a humidifier adaptable to a furnace which is both easily installed and efiiciently operated.

Another object of this invention is to provide a furnace humidifier which forces the hot air from the furnace into a modified Venturi tube, so as to more efficiently absorb moisture from the humidifier.

A further object of this invention is to provide a furnace humidifier which is easily installed and removed with little modification of the furnace.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a furnace humidifier which may readily be partially removed from the furnace, so as to lend easy access to the humidifier for repairs or adjustments.

These to ether with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the furnace humidifier shown installed in a furnace;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view of the furnace humidifier illustrating the details of construction; and

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the plane defined by reference line 33 of FIGURE 2, illustrating the details of construction which make this humidifier efiicient in operation.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral generally designates the humidifier comprising the present invention. Looking at FIGURE 1, the humidifier 10 can be seen as installed in a furnace 12, the humidifier having water inlet means 14 including a float valve 94 and outlet means 16.

The furnace 12 has a plenum through which the hot air passes. This plenum has a front wall 18, a rear wall 29, and side walls 22 and 24.

The humidifier itself is constructed of a casing having a front wall 26, a rear wall 28, and side walls and 32. The lower ends of side walls 30 and 32 have extending downwardly and outwardly therefrom flanges 34 and 36 respectively. A concave water receiving bottom 38 is mounted between casing front wall 26 and rear wall 28 having upwardly and inwardly extending flanges 40 and 42 mounted on the longitudinal edges thereof. It may now be seen that slots have been formed through which the heated air of a furnace may pass. These slots or openings are formed between flanges 34 and 4-0, and 42 and 36 respectively. An opening 44 is formed in the front wall 18 of the furnace to accommodate the humidifier 10. The upper ends of the front and back plates 26 and 28 have openings 46 and 48 formed therein. Other openings are formed in the front wall 18 and rear wall 20 of the plenum which are in alignment with holes 46 and 48.

Support rails 50 are mounted at one end in the opening in the rear wall 20 of the plenum by means of nuts 52 which look the threaded end of rod 56 to the wall 20. Washers 54 are secured in place between nuts 52 and wall 20. The back plate 28 of the casing is supported on rails 50 which pass through openings 46 and 48 in the upper portion thereof. The other ends of rods 3,fi2l,83l Patented Feb. 20, 1362 "ice 55B are also threaded and pass through the openings in front wall 18 of the plenum and through openings 46 and 48 in the front wall 26 of the casing. The front ends of rods 50 also have washers 54 encircling the rods and in abutting relation to front wall 26. The front end of the rod 50 is secured in place by nuts 52.

A shaft 56 is mounted in bearings 58 and 60 in casing walls 28 and 26 respectively, and this shaft extends outwardly through the respective walls of the casing. This shaft 56 is locked in place by means of collars 62 fastened securely by set screws to shaft 56 and disposed on the inner surface of bearings 53 and 6%. A cylindrical drum 64 is fastened securely to shaft 56 by means of collars 66 on which the drum is mounted and which are fastened to the shaft by means of set screws. As can be seen in FIGURE 3 a foraminous screen covering of a star-shaped cross section is attached about the periphery of drum 64 in any convenient manner, this screen being designated by numeral 68. A second foraminous screen 70 of generally cylindrical shape is mounted to screen 68 at the external points of the first screen in any convenient manner such as by friction or mechanical means. It can thus be seen that when shaft 56 rotates, screens 68 and 70 rotate also.

Horizontally disposed channel members 72 are mounted along the upper inner ends of casing walls 26 and 28 and have a forarninous screen 74 secured thereto constituting the top of the casing. Thus this foraminous screen 74 gives the warm air passing therethrough a fil tering action.

An angle iron 76 is mounted on the upper outer por-' tion of easing wall 26 and has a motor 78 mounted thereto and downwardly depending therefrom. This motor has a driving shaft 86 to which is mounted a socket 82 which accommodates the end of the shaft 56 and is locked thereto by means of a set screw 84. At the lower end of front wall 26 are mounted two fittings 86 and 88 which are inlet and outlet fittings respectively. These fittings extend through front wall 26 and communicate with the water receiving area defined by flanges 4t) and 42 and the bottom 38. Fitting 88 is mounted higher up on wall 26 than fitting 86. The height of fitting 88 determines the height of water in the water receiving area in the casing. An outlet pipe 90 is attached to outlet fitting 88, and is used for drainage of excess water. An inlet pipe 92 is connected to inlet fitting 86, and the other end of this pipe is connected to a fioat valve 94 which controls the inlet flow of water into the casing. This float valve 94 may be adjusted to keep the Water in the casing at a constant height, by regulating the inlet fiow. A water pipe 96 leads into float valve 94, so as to provide a constant supply of fresh water.

In use when the humidifier is installed in a furnace, the motor 78, which may be an electric motor or any other suitable type of motor, is kept constantly activated so that the driving shaft is constantly turning thus turning shaft 56. This in turn assures constant rotation of screens 68 and 70, which, in their lower position, pass through the water in the bottom of the casing. The mo tor 78 turns at a slow speed and so the driving shaft 80 and also drum 64 will turn at this same slow speed. Screens 68 and 70 pick up a film of water which becomes deposited on its outer surface. Portions of the warm air passing upwardly through the casing will pass between the slots defined by flanges 34 and 40, and 42 and 36, respectively, and a Venturi effect will cause this portion of the air to be speeded up, and this warm air will be directed through screens 68 and 70, and pick up water from screens 68 and 70, thus humidifying this warm air. The amount of water dispersed into the warm air by evaporation, is controlled by both the speed of rotation of the screens and the surface area of the screens.

It will of course be realized that the process becomes more eflicient as the warm dry air continues to heat the supply of water in the casing which allows this water to evaporate into the air at a faster rate.

It is to be noted that the guide rods 50 are the first portion of the humidifier to be installed, and they control the leveling of the humidifier. Thus, these rods must be accurately installed in a level position. It will be realized that when it is necessary to repair, inspect, or remove the humidifier from the plenum, it is merely necessary to loosen the front nuts 52, and slide the easing outwardly in drawer-like fashion so that this casing may be partially or completely removed from the plenum. By sliding out the casing in drawer-like fashion the task of inserting or removing the humidifier is simple and easy.

The foraminous screen 74 which constitutes the top of the casing, serves to prevent large droplets of water from blowing out through the top due to excessive air blasts.

When the wire screens 68 and 70 become limed excessively, they may be replaced.

It can now be seen that I have invented a furnace humidifier which is extremely effective for humidifying the warm air passing upwardly through the plenum of a furnace as well as a humidifier which is simple to install and remove, and which can easily be partially removed from the plenum for repairs.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A furnace comprising a hot air plenum having a pair of opposite side walls, a humidifier including :1 casing disposed in the interior of said plenum for the passage of air therethrough, said casing having at least one downwardly directed opening for the passage of heated air upwardly thereinto from said furnace, said casing having therein a plurality of reticulated members disposed for the passage of air therethrough from said opening, means for wetting said reticulated members whereby said heated air will absorb moisture therefrom to raise the humidity of said heated air, a pair of rods extending transversely of and between said opposite walls of said plenum and supported thereby, said casing having end walls embracing and supported by said rods, said plenum having an opening in one of said opposite walls through which said casingv is received, the other end wall of said casing removably secured to said one plenum wall and closing said opening, said rods having one end of each secured to said other end wall, a shaft rotatably supported between said end walls, a cylindrical drum mounted on said shaft, said reticulated members comprising an outer screen of generally cylindrical shape disposed about and spaced from the outer surfaces of said drum and an inner screen mounted upon said drum, said inner screen comprising radially directed V-shaped portions extending longitudinally thereof, said outer screen being mounted on and secured to the apices of said V- shaped portions, means for rotating said shaft, said rotary means being mounted upon the exterior of said other end wall of said casing.

2. A furnace comprising a hot air plenum having a pair of opposite walls, a humidifier including a casing disposed in the interior of said plenum, said casing having air passage means therein, humidifying means in said air passage means for treating the air passing therethrough, transversely extending support and guide rods disposed in said plenum, extending between and supported by said opposite walls, said casing having end walls, said plenum having an opening in one of said opposite walls through which one end wall and the corresponding end of said casing is received, said one end wall of said casing slidably embracing and supported by said rods for movement therealong and transversely of said plenum, said guide rods including means removably securing the other end Wall of said casing to said plenum with said other end wall closing said opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 366,568 Christopher July 12, 1887 1,305,926 Nelson June 3, 1919 1,309,737 Ilg July 15, 1919 1,587,277 Bolling June 1, 1926 1,927,607 Hands Sept. 19, 1933 2,001,833 Byrd May 21, 1935 ,158,543 Jensen May 13, 1939 2,286,480 Farr June 16, 1942 2,503,002 Shreve Apr. 4, 1950 2,842,348 Geen July 8, 1958 

